Arkansas State Aid City Street Program

Frequently Asked Questions

How does my city request a project? To request a project, it’s required that the Mayor submits a letter to the Street Committee listing the streets, priority, length of the street, and type of work.

Are any city matching funds required to construct a project? For cities with populations over 25,000 people, a 10% match is required. For all other cities, no match is required.

How much funding can we request? The Street Committee has adopted a rule limiting the amount of State Aid City Street funds to a maximum of $250,000 per project. For a typical overlay project, this is about 1.3 to 1.8 miles of overlay. So in addition to any required matching funds, cities would be responsible for the costs above this cap or the scope of the project would need to be reduced.

When will the Street Committee consider approving construction funding for projects next? Since the Street Committee approved funding for calendar year 2014, they will likely consider approving projects again January 2015.

Does this program end after 10 years? No, this is a permanent program funded with 1 cent of the existing motor fuel tax.

Can we do the work and be reimbursed? State Law (27-72-414) requires that the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) handle the construction contracts. As a result the City cannot be reimbursed for doing the work or for hiring a contractor to do the work.

How often can a city request a project? The Street Committee has adopted a rule allowing a city to submit a project request once each calendar year; however, please note that the Street Committee is giving priority to cities that haven’t previously been approved for a project. So if your city was recently approved for a project, the chances of being approved the following year are low.

Can these funds be used to acquire right-of-way or to adjust utilities? State Law (27-72-417) requires the cities to pay for right-of-way or adjusting utilities.

Is the City required to design the project? The City is not required to but may design the project. If the your project is approved by the Street Committee, State Aid Division can design the project at no cost to the City or the City may elect to hire a consultant to design it in AHTD’s format. However if the City hires a consultant, the City must pay 100% of the consultant’s costs.